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Beltran, winner of Clemente Award, living his dream

The ties that bind baseball and community service had an additional connection on Saturday when St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran was named the winner of the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award for community service.

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Beltran, winner of Clemente Award, living his dream

Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Sports
1:09 a.m. EDT October 27, 2013

Vera Clemente, widow of Latino Baseball legend Roberto Clemente, speaks after St. Louis Cardinals' Carlos Beltran was honored as the Roberto Clemente Award winner before Game 3 of the World Series.(Photo: Jeff Roberson AP)

Story Highlights

Carlos Beltran, like Roberto Clemente, hails from Puerto Rico

His academy there helps children with academics and baseball

He was joined by Clemente's widow, Vera Clemente, in the award presentation

ST. LOUIS – The ties that bind baseball and community service had an additional connection on Saturday when St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran was named the winner of the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award for community service.

Like Beltran, Clemente -- the Hall of Fame outfielder who died on a mission to deliver earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua in 1972 – was a native of Puerto Rico. And Beltran was honored for his foundation that provides athletic and educational opportunities for children in his home country.

"I always wanted to be like him, having the opportunity to play baseball and having an opportunity to give back." Beltran said of Clemente, whose wife and two sons were in attendance at the Busch Stadium ceremony before Game 3.

"That's why I decided to build the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy back home in Puerto Rico. First of all baseball was kind of declining. And second thing, I felt that by me building something, it was going to impact a lot of kids back home in Puerto Rico – not only in baseball, but the most important thing for me was academics."

Beltran and his wife Jessica have personally donated over $4 million to the academy, which opened in August 2011.

In 2013, the graduating class had 43 seniors who either moved on to collegiate baseball programs or were chosen in the MLB draft.

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But even more important than the athletic achievements, Beltran said, was the education that each one received.

"Baseball is a game that comes and goes, but education is something that stays with you for the rest of your life," he said.

Beltran is the fourth Cardinal to receive the Clemente Award, joining Albert Pujols, Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith. He is also the third Puerto Rican to win, following Edgar Martinez in 2004 and Carlos Delgado in 2006.

Beltran was selected from a list of 30 nominees, one from each major league team, and was chosen by a combination of a panel of dignitaries and an online fan vote.

The award is sponsored by Chevrolet, which also donated a vehicle to Beltran's academy in his honor.